Our Programs
Feeding Northeast Florida believes in breaking the cycle of poverty through access to quality food resources and by providing the resources and education necessary to increase family stability and economic self-sufficiency.
Through innovative direct-service programs and partnerships with schools, senior centers, and veteran and active-duty military organizations, we work tirelessly to not only feed the line but shorten the line. Learn how we support the communities we serve.
Feeding Northeast Florida’s Core Programs
Feeding the Community
Feeding Northeast Florida is the largest, most efficient food bank serving Baker, Bradford, Clay, Duval, Flagler, Nassau, Putnam and St. Johns Counties. We work with retail partners, manufacturers, and farms to rescue high-quality food that would normally be wasted and transform it into meals for those in need. Our team, alongside our hunger-relief network of partner agencies, like City Rescue Mission, The Sulzbacher Center and The Salvation Army, work tirelessly to not only feed the line but shorten the line.
Partner Agencies
Feeding Northeast Florida sits at the center of a vast network of more than 300 non-profit partner agencies including schools, churches, community centers and more. Together, we distribute more than 30 million pounds of food each year and serve more than 280,000 people monthly.
Mobile Pantry
Feeding Northeast Florida goes beyond just providing food. We ensure its quality food that meets Feeding America’s healthy food standards. More than 70% of the food distributed is food that’s aligned with MyPlate nutrition standards.
Our Mobile Pantry Program brings fruits and vegetables to areas known as food deserts – low-income neighborhoods that lack access to affordable and healthy food.
Snap & Medicaid Assistance
The benefit program, SNAP — Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program — previously known as food stamps, is a federal program that helps low-income Americans put food on the table. While SNAP provides supplemental food assistance to low-income families, Medicaid provides medical coverage to underprivileged children, caregivers, and seniors. Feeding Northeast Florida assists with the application of both programs.
Feeding our Children
1 in 7 children in Northeast Florida experience hunger. No child should ever worry where they will receive their next meal. We nourish futures by ensuring kids receive the proper nutrition to thrive in the classroom and beyond.
Snack Packs
Each Snack Pack contains two meals worth of food and beverages that are non-perishable and kid friendly. Snack Pack items vary based on inventory and availability, but can contain fruit and grain bars, applesauce, cereal bowl, dried fruit, white milk, chocolate milk, and water. These packs are provided to food insecure children weekly through schools, after school programming, youth centers, and more.
Fresh Selects
Feeding Northeast Florida provides fresh fruit such as apples, oranges, strawberries, and mangoes weekly to schools as requested
Snack Stations
To address the need for on-demand snacks, Feeding Northeast Florida provides participating schools Snack Stations weekly – a 15-pound box containing a wide variety of snacks such as granola bars, applesauce cups, beef jerky, individually packed crackers, and beverages. As with Snack Pack program, we consult with our Registered Dietitian to ensure snack items are age-appropriate, desirable, and wholesome.
Targeted Mobile Pantries
Working with public school systems, we host targeted mobile pantries serving families with children to help supplement the loss of school meals during spring, summer and holiday breaks.
Feeding our Seniors
Last year, Feeding Northeast Florida provided food resources to an estimated 1 in 6 seniors living in the 8 counties we serve. We are committed to helping our senior population through food assistance programs that consider health risks, transportation needs, physical limitations and dietary restrictions of older adults.
Senior Food Pantries
we work with several senior centers and senior communities to host regular client-choice pantries on-site. Residents are able to select the food they prefer which includes low sodium and whole wheat products to meet the dietary needs of seniors.
Feeding our Military Heroes
Research compiled by Veteran Affairs estimates that anywhere from 8 – 25 percent of the veteran population is food insecure. In Northeast Florida, that equates to 3 – 9,300 men and women who served in the U.S. Military are now experiencing hunger. Additionally, the Greater Jacksonville USO reports approximately 7,500 of our active-duty military living on the First Coast are food insecure to some degree. Feeding Northeast Florida is committed to giving back to those who risked everything to protect our freedom.
Veteran Meal Boxes
Feeding Northeast Florida partnered with United Way of Northeast Florida, DoorDash, and The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to deliver food to local veteran families, including homeless veterans. 250 veterans participated in the initiative and received a box of shelf-stable goods weekly in addition to fresh produce, dairy, and proteins.
Military Support Organizations
Feeding Northeast Florida has provided the crucial materials, equipment and food resources to support growth for several military support organizations such as The Greater Jacksonville USO, Five Star Veterans Center, and Northeast Florida Women’s Veterans. We continue to provide food resources monthly to these organizations to support our military families.
Feeding for Health
Feeding Northeast Florida believes everyone should have consistent and reliable access to nutritious, high-quality food to support healthy bodies and minds. But with over 40 food deserts in Jacksonville alone, many of our neighbors do not have access to this basic need. With this in mind we developed two programs that work in tandem to address areas with high food insecurity.
The Corner Markets
The 40′ mobile markets are self-contained mobile food pantries that serve individuals and families at a street-by-street level, targeting neighborhoods that have high rates of food insecurity. The Markets are stocked with 70% fresh produce, lean proteins, dairy and whole grain food resources. All products are chosen by our nutrition team and dietitian.
Prescriptive Nutrition
The Corner Markets support our prescriptive nutrition program in which Feeding Northeast Florida partners with Federally Qualified Health Clinics and Free and Charitable Clinics to serve low-income, underinsured patients referred by the clinic providers.
Equipped with space specifically for the prescriptive nutrition initiative, nursing students and dietitians meet directly with clients, discuss their individual needs and track their progress over time — directly linking their recommendations to the fresh, health food available on the Market.